Enrollment in postsecondary education, by level of enrollment, level of institution, student age, and major field of study: 2007-08

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]

Major field of study

Undergraduate

Postbac-calaureate

All students

2-year institutions1

4-year institutions

Total (in thou-sands)

Percentage distribution, by age

Total (in thou-sands)

Percentage distribution, by age

Total (in thou-sands)

Percentage distribution, by age

Total (in thousands)

Under 25

25 to 35

Over 35

Under 25

25 to 35

Over 35

Under 25

25 to 35

Over 35

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

Total

20,762

62.5

(0.30)

22.3

(0.20)

15.2

(0.21)

11,167

55.5

(0.41)

25.2

(0.32)

19.2

(0.31)

9,596

70.7

(0.57)

18.8

(0.35)

10.5

(0.32)

3,492

Agriculture and related sciences

113

75.2

(2.67)

11.6

(1.95)

13.2

(2.28)

52

56.5

(4.44)

19.0

(3.76)

24.5

(4.34)

61

91.2

(1.92)

5.4

(1.41)

3.4

!

(1.36)

10

Anthropology

39

81.9

(3.29)

14.9

(3.04)

3.2

!

(1.36)

6

74.1

(12.34)

25.7

!

(12.36)

‡

(†)

32

83.4

(3.14)

12.8

(2.64)

3.8

!

(1.61)

7

Architecture and related services

92

81.1

(4.05)

16.0

(3.86)

2.9

!

(0.98)

26

75.1

(6.25)

19.4

(5.80)

5.5

!

(2.76)

66

83.5

(4.88)

14.6

!

(4.70)

1.9

!

(0.81)

23

Area, ethnic, and gender studies

27

80.8

(5.45)

13.1

!

(4.72)

6.1

!

(2.57)

4

87.0

(6.26)

12.6

!

(6.19)

‡

(†)

23

79.9

(6.17)

13.2

!

(5.38)

6.9

!

(2.96)

‡

Biological and biomedical sciences

575

85.1

(0.88)

12.3

(0.82)

2.5

(0.40)

138

77.6

(1.93)

17.1

(1.89)

5.3

(1.16)

437

87.5

(0.96)

10.8

(0.89)

1.6

(0.38)

94

Business, management, and marketing

3,381

58.7

(0.89)

24.1

(0.59)

17.2

(0.60)

1,386

56.7

(1.04)

24.4

(0.89)

18.9

(0.81)

1,995

60.2

(1.28)

23.8

(0.74)

16.0

(0.86)

614

Communication and journalism

393

84.1

(1.42)

11.8

(1.18)

4.1

(0.65)

71

74.5

(4.08)

17.6

(3.47)

7.9

!

(2.47)

322

86.1

(1.40)

10.6

(1.15)

3.3

(0.60)

29

Communications technologies/technicians

54

66.4

(4.93)

24.3

(4.32)

9.3

!

(3.89)

30

55.1

(7.42)

30.7

(7.15)

14.2

!

(6.68)

24

80.5

(5.02)

16.3

!

(4.90)

‡

(†)

‡

Computer and information sciences

721

49.7

(1.58)

29.9

(1.34)

20.5

(1.46)

369

47.8

(2.11)

27.5

(1.95)

24.7

(1.94)

353

51.6

(2.58)

32.3

(2.28)

16.1

(2.21)

92

Construction trades

109

43.0

(4.33)

34.1

(2.91)

22.9

(3.46)

95

39.8

(4.33)

35.4

(3.07)

24.8

(3.64)

14

64.2

(6.69)

25.4

(5.66)

10.4

!

(4.87)

‡

Criminology

29

75.0

(5.19)

14.4

(3.58)

10.6

!

(3.47)

‡

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

25

74.7

(5.88)

15.7

(4.08)

9.6

!

(3.78)

‡

Economics

103

84.7

(2.30)

11.1

(2.05)

4.3

(1.09)

14

77.8

(5.83)

21.1

(5.88)

‡

(†)

88

85.8

(2.57)

9.4

(2.26)

4.8

(1.27)

13

Education

1,181

65.7

(0.90)

19.0

(0.72)

15.3

(0.75)

501

56.1

(1.44)

21.4

(1.20)

22.5

(1.43)

680

72.8

(1.21)

17.2

(1.13)

10.0

(0.80)

843

Engineering

658

78.2

(1.05)

15.8

(0.94)

6.0

(0.58)

202

62.3

(2.53)

25.5

(2.02)

12.2

(1.56)

457

85.1

(1.05)

11.6

(1.00)

3.3

(0.57)

167

Engineering technologies/technicians

365

55.5

(2.17)

27.4

(1.80)

17.1

(1.49)

252

50.6

(2.79)

29.1

(2.57)

20.4

(2.06)

113

66.6

(3.17)

23.6

(3.12)

9.9

(1.72)

14

English language and literature/letters

241

77.8

(1.57)

16.1

(1.39)

6.2

(1.16)

55

67.4

(4.22)

22.1

(3.47)

10.5

!

(3.66)

186

80.9

(1.72)

14.3

(1.67)

4.9

(0.98)

36

Family and consumer/human sciences

178

62.8

(2.74)

20.3

(2.70)

16.9

(1.87)

84

48.0

(4.02)

25.4

(4.28)

26.5

(3.83)

94

76.1

(3.35)

15.8

(3.21)

8.2

(1.51)

17

Foreign languages and literatures

91

78.3

(3.00)

13.1

(2.56)

8.7

(1.91)

29

64.5

(6.70)

20.4

!

(6.41)

15.2

!

(4.93)

62

84.6

(2.51)

9.8

(1.85)

5.7

(1.63)

24

Geography

20

69.9

(6.22)

22.1

(5.31)

8.0

!

(2.98)

‡

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

19

72.1

(6.45)

19.8

(5.50)

8.1

!

(3.12)

‡

Health professions and related sciences

3,030

50.5

(0.62)

30.4

(0.60)

19.1

(0.48)

2,092

47.4

(0.73)

32.0

(0.69)

20.6

(0.63)

938

57.4

(1.36)

26.9

(1.47)

15.7

(0.93)

407

History

168

80.2

(1.76)

12.4

(1.25)

7.5

(1.09)

34

80.5

(4.73)

14.3

(3.24)

5.2

!

(2.58)

135

80.1

(1.95)

11.9

(1.38)

8.1

(1.28)

25

International relations and affairs

42

86.4

(4.81)

8.2

!

(2.93)

‡

(†)

9

60.8

(16.76)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

33

93.3

(2.34)

5.8

!

(2.19)

‡

(†)

12

Legal professions and studies

168

45.9

(4.10)

29.7

(3.35)

24.4

(3.17)

114

40.5

(3.61)

32.0

(4.38)

27.5

(3.94)

54

57.2

(8.69)

25.1

(4.85)

17.8

!

(6.42)

167

Liberal arts, sciences and humanities

1,880

65.5

(0.84)

20.2

(0.64)

14.2

(0.62)

1,488

64.7

(0.98)

20.5

(0.77)

14.8

(0.74)

392

68.7

(1.77)

19.2

(1.39)

12.1

(0.99)

24

Library science

‡

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

29

Mathematics and statistics

102

78.7

(2.63)

12.8

(1.90)

8.5

(1.95)

35

66.2

(4.48)

18.6

(3.98)

15.2

(3.33)

68

85.1

(3.12)

9.8

(2.05)

5.0

!

(2.34)

25

Mechanic and repair technologies

215

54.5

(2.73)

26.9

(2.42)

18.6

(1.89)

202

53.9

(2.86)

27.0

(2.49)

19.0

(2.01)

13

63.5

(8.45)

24.9

!

(8.68)

11.6

!

(5.49)

‡

Military technologies

‡

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

Multi/interdisciplinary studies

242

68.5

(2.24)

19.3

(1.85)

12.2

(1.37)

111

60.2

(3.69)

22.0

(2.83)

17.7

(2.36)

131

75.6

(2.74)

17.0

(2.48)

7.4

(1.32)

28

Natural resources and conservation

52

75.7

(3.79)

19.8

(3.43)

4.4

!

(1.82)

15

74.9

(7.42)

13.6

!

(5.23)

11.6

!

(5.55)

37

76.1

(4.40)

22.3

(4.31)

‡

(†)

13

Parks, recreation, and fitness studies

149

83.6

(1.80)

12.0

(1.68)

4.4

(0.97)

37

79.8

(3.55)

12.7

(3.12)

7.5

!

(2.83)

112

84.8

(2.20)

11.8

(2.08)

3.4

(0.96)

14

Personal and culinary services

351

59.6

(1.89)

27.4

(1.38)

13.0

(1.39)

307

59.2

(1.88)

27.6

(1.47)

13.2

(1.41)

44

62.3

(8.45)

26.1

(5.12)

11.5

!

(5.45)

‡

Philosophy and religious studies

68

75.2

(3.37)

13.3

(2.27)

11.5

(2.44)

10

52.2

(11.80)

29.7

(8.32)

‡

(†)

57

79.4

(3.22)

10.3

(2.11)

10.3

(2.37)

29

Physical sciences

172

80.3

(2.05)

15.7

(1.84)

4.0

(1.04)

45

69.4

(5.31)

21.3

(4.78)

9.2

!

(3.42)

127

84.1

(1.78)

13.7

(1.72)

2.1

!

(0.72)

51

Political science and government

196

85.7

(1.53)

10.4

(1.20)

3.9

(1.10)

31

77.8

(5.35)

20.3

(5.09)

‡

(†)

165

87.2

(1.65)

8.5

(1.14)

4.3

!

(1.32)

14

Precision production

52

40.6

(5.09)

33.7

(4.78)

25.7

(4.29)

51

39.5

(5.13)

34.7

(4.90)

25.8

(4.39)

‡

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

†

Psychology

589

75.4

(1.02)

16.9

(0.83)

7.6

(0.64)

161

71.3

(1.97)

18.9

(1.95)

9.8

(1.27)

428

77.0

(1.31)

16.2

(0.92)

6.8

(0.77)

148

Public administration and social services

178

50.1

(2.25)

23.4

(2.11)

26.5

(2.28)

68

38.4

(3.62)

23.1

(3.66)

38.5

(4.46)

110

57.2

(2.67)

23.6

(2.58)

19.1

(2.16)

104

Science technologies/technicians

47

59.4

(5.27)

23.4

(4.27)

17.2

(3.92)

34

59.2

(6.47)

22.6

(5.40)

18.2

(5.25)

14

59.8

(8.28)

25.3

(6.90)

14.9

!

(5.53)

‡

Security and protective services

647

61.8

(1.59)

24.3

(1.39)

14.0

(1.26)

377

59.0

(2.29)

24.1

(2.02)

17.0

(1.86)

271

65.7

(2.34)

24.6

(2.11)

9.7

(1.26)

17

Social sciences, other

63

61.0

(4.43)

20.3

(3.48)

18.8

(4.53)

21

59.7

(9.31)

21.7

(6.49)

‡

(†)

42

61.6

(5.23)

19.5

(3.98)

18.8

(4.78)

19

Sociology

133

72.8

(2.06)

14.0

(1.42)

13.2

(1.77)

31

68.2

(5.18)

13.8

(3.15)

18.0

(4.29)

102

74.1

(2.26)

14.1

(1.62)

11.7

(1.88)

10

Theology and religious vocations

32

67.8

(7.75)

21.1

!

(6.38)

11.1

(2.34)

‡

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

30

66.5

(8.18)

22.1

!

(6.66)

11.4

(2.55)

50

Transportation and materials moving

59

35.3

(4.02)

37.3

(3.83)

27.4

(3.86)

29

27.6

(5.05)

35.2

(5.62)

37.2

(5.23)

30

42.6

(5.76)

39.4

(5.64)

18.0

(4.44)

‡

Visual and performing arts

782

77.4

(0.97)

15.8

(0.85)

6.7

(0.64)

276

70.7

(1.91)

16.7

(1.57)

12.6

(1.56)

505

81.1

(1.16)

15.4

(1.10)

3.5

(0.50)

62

Undeclared or not in a degree program

1,689

66.0

(1.14)

20.2

(0.80)

13.9

(0.76)

1,184

59.9

(1.35)

23.5

(1.06)

16.6

(0.94)

505

80.3

(1.97)

12.2

(1.33)

7.5

(1.12)

†

†Not applicable.

!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.

1 Includes students attending less-than-2-year institutions and students attending more than one institution.

NOTE: Because of different survey editing and processing procedures, enrollment data in this table may differ from those appearing in other tables. Includes students who enrolled at any time during the 2007–08 academic year. Data include Puerto Rico. Data have been revised from previously published figures. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.